Method and system for inoculating bacteria in contaminated water using earthworm humus

ABSTRACT

A system for treating liquids by forming bacteria flora using earthworm humus is disclosed. In some embodiments, the system includes a containment tank for receiving a contaminated liquid distributed through an opening into the tank, the containment tank further including a layer of earthworm humus through which the liquid is filtered, a medium layer for bacteria inoculation below the earthworm humus layer in the containment tank, and an inert layer below the medium layer proximate to the base of the containment tank.

CLAIM OF BENEFIT TO PRIOR APPLICATION

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/855,099, filed Oct. 26, 2006, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

INTRODUCTION

The following description relates generally to a technique for treating contaminated water, and more particularly, to a technique using earthworms' humus to inoculate different types of bacteria. The technique can be performed using several types of mediums or fixation material. As described, the bacteria can be inoculated using different liquid or semi-liquid residues, which when in contact with the humus and with the medium material, begins to generate a bacterial flora specialized in degrading the type of liquid or semi-liquid residue that is being used.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a transversal view of the INOCULOM system showing the humus, the cellulose material, the stones and the double bottom.

FIG. 2 illustrates the INOCULOM system including layers that comprise the INOCULOM system.

FIG. 3 illustrates the in-flow of water and the layers that the water crosses over (humus, cellulose material, stones and double bottom), before being released by means of a pendent.

FIG. 4 illustrates the release of the water in the lower part of the INOCULOM system by using central canals that have a slope.

FIG. 5 shows the distribution of the water over the central pre-filter.

FIG. 6 shows the in-flow of water over the pre-filter and its flow in between different layers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosed bacteria inoculation process can be used for many possible applications, such as for cleaning sewer water (domestic), industrial water, or other water that presents organic contamination. With regard to industrial water, this technology may be applied to food industry-related discharges, such as slaughterhouses, dairies, vineyards and agro industries. One advantage of this bacterial flora inoculation system is that it is triggered the same way (using earthworm humus) for different liquid or semi liquid wastes. For example, this can be used for both slaughterhouse wastes and for dairy wastes.

Slaughterhouses' liquid wastes are made up of mainly organic material, specially blood, green waters, and excrement and fats, which are the main organic contaminants that present such industrial establishments. To degrade in an organic form these types of wastes, it is necessary to form an active bacterial flora, specialized in degrading (feed) the organic material living in the residual discharge of the slaughterhouse. The inoculation system is comprised of a recipient that the sawdust and earthworm humus is located in its main part contaminated water is poured in its superior part and it is passed through this material (sawdust and humus) and in this contact a bacterial flora specialized in this type of liquid waste begins to form.

As for dairy applications, the liquid wastes of a dairy company are composed mainly of lactose, milk proteins, flour, vegetable fat, oil and biodegradable detergent, which are the main organic contaminants of this type of industries. In order to degrade the organic material living in the water, it must be in contact with earthworm humus in its sawdust medium, with the contaminated water that disposes the company. The aforesaid two cases will form different types of bacterial flora in the sawdust medium, yet that the two cases started in the same way, as it is said, putting in contact the contaminated water with the earthworm humus.

This bacteria inoculation process preferably is separated from the majority of solids suspended that come from the residual water, this with the end of not perming the riverbed of the medium (sawdust) and in this way, damaging the formation of the aerobic bacterial flora. If there are many solids accumulated in the sawdust medium, lagoons of contaminated water will be formed, which may provoke odors and an anaerobic (absence of oxygen) instead of aerobic (presence of oxygen) bacterial flora will tend to form in the riverbed of the sawdust. The anaerobic bacterial flora provokes odor problems in the water that filters through the medium, which is not recommended to happen, because the water that is pretended to filter will come out of the system with odors.

The medium that is be used to inoculate different bacterial flora is preferably in base of a celluloid material, this can be found in different percentage in the medium (inoculation or fixation vehicle), this is to say, alfalfa can be exist in the medium in a 60% and the celluloid material in a 40% or it can exist in other concentration, but the most important is that there exists a celluloid material percentage that serves as a shelter to the earthworm humus.

It is preferred to make a separation of the bigger quantity of solids that may come from contaminated water, so as not to overwhelm the medium of the bacterial flora, yet that this may provoke a formation of anaerobic bacteria, making serious odor problems.

This bacterial flora inoculation method based on earthworm humus, has as the main use the treatment of industrial liquid and solid wastes.

Use of INOCULUM in Contaminated Water Treatment.

This system (INOCULOM) is used to inoculate different bacterial flora, depending on the liquid waste that is going to be used. As described above, if the liquid waste is from a dairy company, the flora that will activate this method (INOCULOM) is different that the one that will be activated to treat wastes of a vine or slaughterhouse companies.

The water used to inoculate the bacterial flora will be referred to as Primary Water (9). The term effluent (9) refers to water to be decontaminated in which the flora is already activated. Water that already has passed through the INOCULOM system will be called Affluent.

This method (INOCULOM) is composed of the following parts:

This method (INOCULOM) needs to be confined in a pond that has to be perforated in the inferior part in order to evacuate the Primary Water (9) that is being used to inoculate the bacterial flora. This water is scattered in the superior part on an homogeneous form, with the intention to cover all the system and its is picked by the inferior part. This water could be used several times, but may depend on the amounts of disposal and the conditions of the water flowing in the inferior part.

The Primary Water (9) distributed in the superior part passes on a gravitational form in all the layers of the system (INOCULOM) and it is recollected in the inferior part by canals with slopes (7). This pond is made of walls that can be handcrafted, concrete made, fiberglass, wood, steel, etc. There does not exist exactly a defined material to build a Bacteria Inoculator (INOCULOM), it is only necessary that there are walls capable of maintaining the medium material that makes its interior. The floor (radier (4)) of the pond has also no defined material, whatever material that resists the requirements may serve, for example compression of the material that makes the Bacteria Inoculator (INOCULOM) and impermeability.

The Bacteria inoculator (INOCULOM) is made of earthworm humus (any type of earthworm) in its first layer (1), mixed with a celluloid material that may be sawdust, wood shaving, etc (as show in FIG. 1). This first layer also serves as a filter in case that the Bacteria inoculator (INOCULOM) is used as a water treatment.

The earthworm humus (1) (any type of earthworm) is the trigger to form different bacterial flora, as it is said, the main essence of the Bacteria Inoculator system (INOCULOM) is to put in contact the earthworm humus with the liquid waste that is pretended to dissolve, this liquid waste can be: Sewer wastes, liquid industrial waste, etc. . . .

The formation of the bacterial flora may be made in several layers of the Bacteria Inoculator system (INOCULOM) being the main one the first layer of sawdust and earthworm humus that is activated, and which is aerobic. On the other layer of inert material (rocks, plastic, etc.) whose main objective is to evacuate rapidly the water from the system, a Bacterial Flora of aerobic character needs to be formed.

The bacteria inoculation medium is the second layer of the system, which is made up of celluloid material (2) that can be sawdust or wood shaving. The thickness of this celluloid material is approximately 70 cms. deep, in which micro organisms produced by the earthworms' humus (1) and annelids (earthworms) inhabit together. Under this second layer there is a third layer of inert material, as for example: quarry stones and rocks (3) on these further layers an anaerobic bacterial layer is also formed that serves to keep up degrading the organic material that the contaminated water (effluent) presents.

On the main medium of bacteria inoculation (2) (humus and sawdust) an ample bacterial flora is generated, that in case of using it to decontaminate water, it may obtain a deep contamination removal. The following reductions can be obtained in sewer water: 95% of the BDO's, 93% of the volatile suspended solids, 96% of the volatile solids, 70% of nitrogen and 70% of phosphorus.

Earthworms can be added in the earthworms humus (1), adults or juvenile (larvae), which are increase the formation of humus because they are continuously defecating as they feed of the organic material in the contaminated water, which is retained in the first layers of the Bacterial Inoculation system. Therefore, in the earthworm humus (1), adult earthworms as well as larvae can be found in different species.

The sawdust (2) makes the function of medium for the bacterial flora and at the same time as a food supplement in the eventual case that the contamination charge of the water, may not be sufficient to feed the as it is normal. The sawdust (2) serves as food to the earthworms due that in time it gets degraded by the action if the micro organisms. The earthworms normally feed their weight in one day.

The third layer of the medium, is made up of quarry stones and rocks (3), the quarry stones are placed in the inferior part and the lesser ones are placed in the superior part. A Bacterial flora is formed on the rocks that digests the organic material present in water that passes through it and that was not retained in the superior layers of the Bacterial Inoculator,

The floor of the Bacterial Inoculator (INOCULOM) (as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4), also denominated as false bottom, consists in a radier (4) with certain inclination for the water to flow and on its top there exist pastelones (5) aside of the supports (6) that can be any resistant or inert materials (stainless steel bars, bricks, paving stones, etc.). This pastelones (5) can be in different sizes, separated 2, 3, or 4 cms. between each other. The stones (3) are placed on top bigger than the support, principally the ones whose diameter is bigger than 4 cms., the different layers of the system and II) to create a sole water guide, in a form of a box that constitutes the treated water emitter (7), that is conducted to the exterior of the system (INOCULOM).

The double bottom is connected to a vent (10) that has as a main function to oxygenate the inferior part of the Bacterial Inoculator (INOCULOM), which consists in a perforated tube in its inferior part and the upper part is opened. This tube is located over the false bottom, on the intersections of four pastelones (5) and the perforations that are made in the inferior part which are not bigger than 1 inch of diameter. This vent permits an exchange of oxygen in the exterior part of the bottom of the Bacterial Inoculator (INOCULOM).

The contaminated water distribution over the Bacterial Inoculator (INOCULOM) can be made in different ways, as for example, using a PVC perforated pipe network (8) (as shown in FIG. 3) sprinklers, fuzes, open channels, etc. the means used for the distribution of the contaminated water (9) are not very important, but that the distribution is uniform over the filtering bed, therefore, every method works if it fulfills this condition.

For the construction of the thick building of the Bacterial Inoculator (INOCULOM), there is no unique material that can be used, any material (concrete, interknit, brick, etc.) existing in the market that has the impermeability and capacity characteristics to support the weight of the different layers of the INOCULOM can be used.

The Bacterial Inoculator (INOCULOM) used as a biological system in the contaminated water treatment, degrades all of the organic solids from the contaminated water, without producing unstable mud as the rest of the traditional treatments.

The affluent of the INOCULOM used as water treatment has a very low absorption (is transparent) which permits the elimination of pathogen microorganisms, using later any disinfection system (ultraviolet radiation, chlorine, ozone, etc.).

Before the contaminated water enters the INOCULOM used as a water treatment, the water has to be filtered, specially the Liquid Industrial Residues (Riles), due specially to the excess of solids suspended that may overwhelm the riverbed of the system, causing floods, which can possibly make that the earthworms or larvae in the INOCULOM to drown, not permitting to add more earthworm humus. To filter the contaminated water (crude water) different filtering systems can be used, as for example: rotating filters, parabolic filters, decantators, etc. And to filter in a finer form a sawdust based system can be used, similar to the Baterial Inoculation (INOCULOM) system, but without humus, nor earthworms, which permits to pass more water per square meter. This filtering system will be named General Pre-filter (P.G.) FIGS. 5 and 6), composed of the following filtering layers: in the inferior part of the layer of the quarry stones or rocks (11) from 2″ to 4″ which has a thickness of 40 cms then grave is added (12) of 0.5″ which has a thickness of 25 cms and shaving is added after this layer (13), with a thickness of 55 cms from the grave layer. The contaminated water (9) over the General Pre-filter (P.G.) can be distributed (14) with perforated pipes, fuzes, sprinklers or otherwise discharged over a part of the surface of the General Pre-filter (P.G.) so that the water is discharged over the General Pre-filter surface in a manner so as to reduce the probability of making holes in the surface. This General Pre-filter (P.G.) is confined inside a pond that has the same physical characteristics that the Bacterial Inoculation (INOCULOM), as it is said, walls can be built (15) from the General Pre-filter (P.G.) in craftsmanship, on any of its types (bricks, blocks, etc.) and the radier (16) in armed concrete with slopes (17), that permits to evacuate the contaminated water that was disposed in the upper part through the inferior part of the General Pre-filter (P.G.).

State of Art in Contaminated Water Treatment.

The served water and Industrial residue organic liquid (RILES) treatment services are divided into two categories, anaerobic (absence of oxygen) and aerobic (presence of oxygen), inside in each and every one of this categories, there exist a wide variety of treatments. For example inside of the anaerobic, the most common are the anaerobic lagoon and the closed digester; and inside the aerobic, the most used are the denominated: activated mud and the pre-strained filters.

This new treatment based in the Bacteria Inoculator (INOCULOM) is an aerobic system, since it needs oxygen to function correctly and because it constitutes in a certain way a filtering medium, it can be classified as: Biological System for the Contaminated Water treatment in base on a Pre-straining filter modification.

Pre-Straining Filters

The traditional pre-straining filters are composed of stone supports, over which a certain flow of contaminated water lands through a distribution system. A Bacterial flora with different types of microorganisms is formed in the stones coming from the contaminated water that direct the organic material. Yet the pre-straining traditional filters do not give the high index of organic material removal that the mud activated process gives, they have its advantages regarding space, energy and the capacity to resist disturbances.

The pre-straining filters have two big disadvantages, which are:

a) They Produce a Great Amount of Waste Mud.

The waste mud, as usual, reach from 0.22 to 0.66 lb of solids per lb of DBO₅ removed in a system of domestic water wastes. About industrial wastes, the production of mud can be as high as 0.4-0.5 lb/lb of DBO₅ removed if the content of carbohydrate waste is high, or as low as 0.05-0.1 lb/lb of DBO₅ removed if the organic materials are volatile acids or alcohols.

b) The Filtering Riverbed Gets Impermeable.

The rocks as well as the revolving disks, get impermeable with the fat that the contaminated water contains. Due to this, the filter efficiency is reduced considerably.

Treatment with Active Muds (Aerobic System).

This treatment system is actually the most used, due that it is smaller, it operates with more elevated organic charges and in varied weather conditions. Commonly, the air is supplied through diffusers placed underneath the surfaces. In some plants, the pure oxygen is supplied instead of air, which may reduce the volume of the incubator even more.

The most important disadvantages of this type of treatments are the following:

a) It Produces a Great Amount of Waste Mud.

The mud production is significantly greater that on other treatment systems, which entails a more complex operation of the plant. A portion of the waste muds are recycled over the aeration ponds and the other part have to be stabilized with some type of treatment.

b) Elevated Operational Costs.

This system needs that the aerators are constantly working in the ponds of aeration, supplying pure oxygen or air to the contaminated water, which is traduced in a high consumption of energy.

Due to the complex muds methods, pumps are needed to suck muds from the bottom of the aeration ponds and transport them to places where they are going to be stabilized. Which makes considerably more expensive the operation costs of the plant.

New Treatment Based on the Bacterial Inoculator (INOCULOM)

This new served water and liquid organic Industrial wastes treatment system has the following ADVANTAGES:

a) It Does Not Produce Unstable Muds.

In the served water treatment and liquid organic industrial wastes traditional processes, they have as solid subproducts (muds) that are produced by the contaminant elimination of crude water, for which it has to be made a secondary disposal.

This new served water and liquid industrial residues treatment system, degrades the totality of the organic solids coming from the contaminated water, without producing unstable muds unlike the rest of the traditional systems, because the earthworms in the medium of the Bacterial Inoculation (2) (humus and sawdust) degrades the totality of the solids that are retained in this means, transforming it in a stable odorless material, like humus.

The sewer water treatment based on the Bacterial Inoculator (INOCULUM) does not need before any type of solid organic decantator, it is only necessary, to install a bar chamber to retain the inorganic solids coming from the sewage water which may cover the pipes or the distribution system.

b) The Filtering Riverbed Does Not Get Impermeable.

The Bacterial Inoculator media (2) has a very important characteristic that differs this new Treatment System in Base on a Bacterial Inoculator (INOCULOM) from the others: it never gets overwhelmed due to the bacterial flora and earthworms in the inoculation medium (sawdust and humus) which are constantly moving and making channels in the medium, which allows it to be always porous and permeable. The solid inorganic materials that come with the served water, which may overwhelm or cover other filters, in this case, are digested by the earthworms and the bacterial flora.

c) Low Operational Costs.

This new system of water treatment based on the Bacterial Inoculation (INOCULOM) needs only impulsion pumps to distribute homogeneously the contaminated water over the upper surface of the Bacterial Inoculator (INOCULOM), drastically reducing the energy costs in comparison to the traditional biological treatment systems, as the air or oxygen injection as well as chemicals, which need to be added as well as other substances to the contaminated water.

d) It Produces a Subproduct That Can Be Used as Natural Fertilizer.

Due that earthworms are used in the inoculation medium, these degrade the organic material transforming it in earthworm's humus, which is a natural fertilizer, that is extracted from the inoculator after some time.

The DISADVANTAGE of this new water treatment system based on Bacterial Inoculation (INOCULOM) is the following:

a) It is Sensitive to Organic Charge or Liquid Industrial Residues Variations in the Served Water.

The Bacterial Inoculation (INOCULOM) biological treatment system, is sensitive to the variations in organic charges, that may be produced at the affluent of this new treatment system (INOCULOM). Any considerable discharge of any chemical toxic substance, as for example: acids, hydrocarbons, inorganic overcharge, etc., may damage this new treatment system (INOCULOM), killing the earthworms and bacterial flora.

The chemical products that are commonly used in homes, for cloth and bathroom cleansing, does not damage this new treatment system (INOCULOM) still a considerable amount is not discharged, because it is diluted in the rest of the used water. 

1. A method for treating contaminated liquid by forming bacteria flora using earthworm humus, comprising: distributing a contaminated liquid into the superior part of a containment tank; providing a layer of earthworm humus in the containment tank for filtering the contaminated liquid; providing a medium layer for bacteria inoculation below the earthworm humus layer in the containment tank; and providing an inert layer below the medium layer proximate to the base of the containment tank.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium layer comprises a base of celluloid material.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium layer comprises sufficient celluloid material to shelter earthworm humus.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium layer acts as a medium for bacterial growth and formation of bacterial flora.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the inert layer comprises a plurality of stones or rocks.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the inert layer is formed at least in part of plastic.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the inert layer comprises anaerobic bacteria.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium layer comprises sawdust or wood shavings.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the medium layer is approximately 70 cm in thickness.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the contaminated liquid comprises sewer water.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the contaminated liquid comprises industrial water.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the contaminated liquid comprises liquid waste.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the liquid comprises semi-liquid waste.
 14. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the earthworm humus by adult earthworms.
 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the earthworm humus by larvae or juvenile earthworms.
 16. A system for treating liquids by forming bacteria flora using earthworm humus, comprising: a containment tank for receiving a contaminated liquid distributed through an opening into the tank, the containment tank further comprising: a layer of earthworm humus through which the liquid is filtered; a medium layer for bacteria inoculation below the earthworm humus layer in the containment tank; and an inert layer below the medium layer proximate to the base of the containment tank.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein the base of the containment tank is formed from an inert material.
 18. The system of claim 16, further comprising an air chamber proximate to the floor of the containment tank, the air chamber being connected to the superior region of the tank by vertical tubes traversing a plurality of layers.
 19. The system of claim 18, further comprising horizontal tubes that are connected to the exterior through the walls of the containment tank.
 20. The system of claim 16, further comprising a layer comprising prefabricated concrete material, stones of different sizes or plastic for allowing an aerobic material and drainage of liquid to the exterior of the tank.
 21. The system of claim 16, wherein the earthworm humus is generated by a combination of adult, juvenile, larvae and earthworm's eggs.
 22. The system of claim 16, wherein the medium layer comprises a base of celluloid material.
 23. The system of claim 16, wherein the tank further comprises an irrigation system for placing the contaminated liquid in contact with the earthworm humus layer.
 24. The system of claim 16, wherein the containment tank does not accumulate liquid. 